


comfort

by nerds_dilema



Series: hotb stories ! [1]
Category: Hands of the Broken, Original Work
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mutual Pining, Nicknames, Nightmares, Original Character(s), Past Abuse, Rivalry, Sharing a Bed, when u dont wanna fall for ur rival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:53:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29445849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerds_dilema/pseuds/nerds_dilema
Summary: aurelia keeps having nightmares about what's been done and who she'll be.
Relationships: Jaci Reid/Aurelia Ward, Original Character(s)/Original Character(s), Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Series: hotb stories ! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2160984
Kudos: 3





	comfort

Jaci pulls the door open, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Dark circles sit under her eyes, and her rough hands scrape against her skin. Aurelia stands in front of her, bottom lip worriedly held between her teeth and golden hair falling over onto her shoulders, not pulled up like it usually is during training. She’s clutching a small, blue cat patterned pillow for dear life, fabric bunching up beneath her fingertips. Soft light spills into the room from the hallway, lamp quickly turned on as Jaci tried to get to the door.

"...Calcium? Can I sleep here tonight? I... had a nightmare," She asks gingerly, voice soft and quiet, almost  _ scared _ as she looks away from Jaci, self consciously gripping the pillow tighter. She shuffles her feet, any distraction from the answer Jaci’ll give.

Jaci steps to the side, bulky body still feeling like there’s not much space, opening the door more to let her in. She snorts and starts to walk into the room, "I told you it's Vitamin D. But come on in." 

Aurelia pads into the room quietly, digging her nails into the pillow. "I don't want to steal your bed or anything, I just... don't want to be alone," She whispers, hands trembling with the memories of thick silence and splotchy, purple bruises spit across her skin.

Jaci slides into the bed, scooching into the wall more, trying to not take up much space. She pulls the red cover up. "You need comfort right now. Come here. Unless you don't want to be touched." 

Aurelia bites her lip, considering it for a moment, knowing Jaci wouldn’t hurt her but the fear of the rough hands hitting her is one of the worst things she can think of. Society said your parents won’t hurt you. Her mom did anyway. 

After thinking for a second, she drops the pillow on the bed and climbs in.

"You wanna talk about your nightmare?" Jaci shifts to look at her, still sleepy, back pressed up against the wall as she curls up, eyes lidded and voice gravelly as she lays her arm out on top of the pillow.

"Well... I got my quirk from my mom. I get anxious all the time that I'm... gonna end up like her. She used to hurt me and my dad all the time. And I'm scared I'm going to start hurting everyone else too," She whispers, wringing her hands. There’s a moment of silence in the air, peaceful and thick, not like the silences at home. For a second, she thinks that she’s shared too much, that their relationship isn’t ready for this yet, that Jaci won’t say anything. A small part in her hopes that she won’t.

Jaci lets out a breath and adjusts herself, covers shifting over the two of them, crimson eyes fluttering shut. "You're damn good, tripwire. You're in the hero course, so you're already doing better than she ever is. Your quirk and past doesn't define you or your future." 

Aurelia stares at her, tracing over her jaw and eyelashes resting on her skin with her eyes, blinking owlishly and mulling over what she said. She won’t admit it outloud, but she trusts Jaci, knows she won’t lie, as stubborn as she is. Jaci is brash, but she gives advice in her own aggressive way, says if you’re a bad person and tells you how to change it, or if you’re not and the world is lying to you. "I think... I think I knew that. I just needed someone to say it to me," She whispers. "Thanks."

Jaci nods sluggishly, slowly falling into a half-asleep state, pulling her in with rough hands, putting Aurelia's head underneath her chin and wrapping her arms around her waist to tuck her body in closer. The height difference makes it easier to wrap Aurelia up in her warmth.

"When I was younger and my quirk hurt me, my dad would hold me to make me feel better," She slurs, legs entangling, knowing this might change something between the two of them. But she doesn’t care, Aurelia deserves the comfort. "Might make you feel better."

Aurelia's heart picks up, pattering against her chest, red crawling up to spread across her cheeks, brushing the tips of her ears. She’s happy it's dark and she’s tucked into Jaci’s chest, she doesn’t want her to see her like… this. Why is she feeling like this? She tries to crush the feeling down, boxing it away, because they’re  _ rivals _ , barely considered friends, and she can’t bear the thought that she would like her. 

"Goodnight, Calcium."

"I told you, it's Vitamin D. Goodnight, Tripwire."

~ 

When Aurelia wakes up in the red sheets with her blue cat pillow shoved between her arms, Jaci's already gone. Heat blooms in her chest, reminding her of the feeling of being  _ safe _ and oh so  _ warm _ , wrapped up in the thick arms that can launch grown men. She's beating the feeling of attachment to death before she can think anything about it.

She slinks out of Jaci’s room, not wanting anyone to see, and gets to her room to change first. Her mind is stuck on the feeling of being held, legs tangled with Jaci’s, gently breathing in the smell of her. She heads up to the training room after getting changed, knowing that's where she is, because she never takes a break. She’s always training. Jaci slightly turns her head at the sound of the door opening and jerks it in  _ hello _ , acknowledging her presence.

"Mornin, Tripwire. Sleep well?" She asks, the gravelly edge to her voice gone with sleep, slowing down on the punching bag to properly talk to her. She wipes her forehead off with a towel, slinging it around her neck, back muscles flexing with every movement she makes.

"Yes. Thanks, again." Aurelia says, voice calculated, not letting any emotion showing that she might have cared about it more. She sits down on the bench, tugging on the loose threads of her shirt, pinching the thread and making it float.

"I would've done it for any friend,” Jaci grinds out, looking away from Aurelia, trying to pretend it’s not a big deal. Aurelia feels her heart sink, almost, but she pushes it down. She’s not special. It’s fine.

Jaci punches the bag again, hiding her face.  _ 'No, I wouldn't. Only for you, tripwire.' _


End file.
